Bush and Kasich, the ultimate swing-state governors, stand by their support for Common Core, saying it’s not a federal program. States chose to adopt the independently crafted set of education standards, they say. And they’re right.

But both Kasich and Bush, increasingly battling each other in their quests to be president, need the vote of Republicans who disagree with them. The issue is far more complicated, conservatives say.

But they won’t get them. Recent surveys show Jeb Bush lagging far behind Donald Trump and Ben Carson, with John Kisich barely in the conversation. Bush could not garner double digit percentage support among Republicans in August polls by FoxNews and Quinnipiac University. While many factors are in play, the fact that Bush and Kisich supported the Common Core early on and have not wavered must be taken into account. The vitriol from parents is real and palpable.

Even if it’s not a federal law, the relationship between federal money and Common Core has created a federal-education monster, some conservatives say, stifling the influence of local parents. The Republican National Committee this month called Common Core a vehicle for “federal intrusion into education policy-making.”

Among GOP governors running for president, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, New Jersey’s Chris Christie and Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal all initially supported Common Core, but have since changed their minds amid mounting pressure from conservatives.

While this hasn’t exactly helped Cruz’s cause, it is worth noting that Donald Trump has positioned himself firmly against the program. Part of the allure of Trump is that he is taking a stand that fellow conservatives wouldn’t dare to on certain issues, which is endearing him to the party faithful. The reason why Bush will not win the nomination, and Kasich will be tossed from office in 2016 is because they are not listening to the majority of their constituents and voters. This is, in a nutshell why Trump may very well have the staying power to win the nomination and why Bush and Kasich are facing disappointment so far.